Chapter 14 |
After waking up early, Matthew hurried to the Columbia Pictures studio to meet his agent, Dennis. He didn't say a word about what had happened the night before; there was no point in bringing it up now. Accompanied by his agent, he signed a supplementary agreement with the film crew, then had his makeup done, changed into a white uniform, and went into the studio to wait for filming to begin.
Perhaps because the character had lines, the assistant director gave him a copy of the character's script, but it was just a single page with a few lines written on it.
The role was simple: walk down a corridor with the lead actress, Winona Ryder, and enter the room of the supporting actress, Angelina Jolie.
The part Matthew had landed was more than an extra's, but less than a character actor's.
Dressed in the same white uniform as the day before, Matthew was standing by the set reading the script when Dennis poked his head over his shoulder, his eyes darting to the top of the page.
"Not only a frontal close-up, but lines, too." Dennis's mouth fell open in surprise. He muttered under his breath, "Any role like this requires a formal audition, or connections within the cast."
Matthew said nothing.
Dennis gave him a surprised look. Yesterday, Winona had pushed him aside, only to do a complete one-eighty by the end of the evening and give him a more significant role. Who the hell was this Matthew Horner's patron?
Angelina Jolie? He immediately shook his head. Angelina Jolie was just a supporting actress in this film; she had no way of standing up to Winona Ryder.
The more Dennis thought about it, the more he believed it had to be true. There was no other way to explain the current situation—it couldn't be a direct intervention from the top brass at Columbia Pictures, could it?
Barely containing his curiosity, he leaned close to Matthew's ear and whispered, "Do you know Kathy Conrad?"
Matthew turned his head and gave Dennis Coulter a slight smile but didn't answer, neither confirming nor denying.
Dennis immediately took that as a yes, and his mind raced with ways he could benefit. One thing was clear: he had to keep Matthew Horner happy and stop being as clumsy as he'd been yesterday.
"Uh... Matthew." He felt he had to explain his behavior from the previous day. "I was in a real hurry yesterday."
"I know." Matthew turned the page of his script. "I'm memorizing my lines. Don't disturb me."
Dennis immediately backed away, saying, "Right, right, I won't bother you."
Matthew studied the character script, memorizing every part of it. The script was simple enough, making it easy to read, and there were only two lines, neither of them complicated.
After a short wait, Angelina Jolie appeared on set. Matthew smiled at her, and she gave him a slight nod in return.
Just like the day before, the lead actress and producer, Winona Ryder, was the last to arrive.
The director, James Mangold, took charge of the pre-shoot preparations and called the actors together to discuss the scene. Matthew was summoned as well.
"Let's go." James Mangold asked the actors to follow him into the corridor on the set. Approaching the door of the first room, he explained:
"In this scene, the lead and supporting actress don't know each other yet. Winona, your character is curious about Jolie's and sees a man heading to her room."
He pointed to Matthew. "You follow his back until he enters the room."
Winona nodded; a scene like this was incredibly simple for her.
Then James Mangold turned to Matthew. "Walk down the corridor—not too fast, not too slow, just a normal pace—and then enter the room. Got it?"
Matthew quickly replied, "Got it."
James Mangold gestured to his assistant, then announced:
"Alright, let's start shooting."
The assistant director positioned them.
Jolie went into her room. Winona Ryder stood in the doorway of a room farther down the hall, while Matthew took a first-aid kit from a prop master and waited in the hall where yesterday's scene had been filmed.
There were two camera operators ready at their positions, and someone wearing a visor stood off to his side.
Despite wanting to be a Hollywood star and doing everything he could to achieve that status, this was his first time performing in front of a camera.
It was only natural to be nervous.
"Relax, man." The crew was still making final preparations when the guy in the visor next to Matthew suddenly whispered:
"Your scene's easy. Just act natural in front of the camera and you'll be fine."
Matthew turned his head, gave a faint smile, and nodded.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly. Just yesterday, everyone had been avoiding him, but today, he felt none of that.
"Action."
James Mangold's voice rang out. Matthew quickly cleared his mind and started to move, but he had barely taken a single step when the director's voice called out again, "Cut!"
He looked at Matthew. "You're too slow. Move a little faster."
Matthew was about to say something, but James Mangold ordered:
"Back to one. Let's go again."
No one said a word. The actors and crew quickly returned to their positions, and Matthew focused on following the director's instructions.
"Action." James Mangold gave the order, and the crew immediately got to work.
Matthew walked toward the main corridor as Winona Ryder came toward him. Just as they were about to pass each other, Winona Ryder turned her head to look at Matthew, and the camera following her gradually panned to him.
As the camera shifted, Matthew instinctively looked right into the lens.
"Cut!" James Mangold shouted, stopping the shoot. "You're looking at the camera. Don't do that."
Matthew quickly apologized, "It was subconscious."
"Don't look next time." James Mangold seemed to be in a good mood despite the mistake. "Everyone back in position. We'll go again from the top."
He was just the director, but he was well aware of the on-set dynamics. Winona had apparently conceded to Jolie, and rumor had it this extra had gone into Winona's office with Jolie last night. No one knew what happened between them, but the result was obvious.
James Mangold didn't want to get involved in that mess, so he made no effort to pry into their affairs.
Matthew returned to his starting position. Dennis, who was unexpectedly standing nearby, saw him and offered, "Don't think about the fact that you're being filmed. It'll be easier to avoid mistakes that way."
Taking two deep breaths, Matthew nodded.
The rest of the crew didn't return to their positions as quickly as the actors, so Matthew stood there, slowly steadying his breathing. He let go of his scattered thoughts, thinking of nothing, gradually entering a state of emptiness. He held it for a few seconds until the slight tremor in his legs subsided and the tension eased.
When James Mangold called for action again, all of Matthew's anxiety vanished. He stepped forward, paying no mind to the camera, the director, his agent, or even the approaching Winona Ryder. He just walked.
He walked past Winona Ryder and headed straight for the room where Angelina Jolie was. Winona Ryder turned her head to look at him, and the camera pivoted with her, tracking Matthew's tall back.
Matthew entered Angelina Jolie's room and said in a normal, even tone, "Lisa, you need to take your medicine on time, or I'll have to report it to Dr. Potts."
And that was it. Those were his two lines.
"Cut!" James Mangold announced, "That's a wrap!"
Matthew was bewildered. "That's it?"
"Of course." From across the room, Jolie seemed to have heard him. She stood up, remarking, "In Hollywood, time is money."
Jolie left the room to prepare for the next scene, and Matthew's work on set was declared complete.
He was on a daily contract, however, so even though he had worked for less than a couple of hours, he would still be paid two hundred dollars.
"Two hundred dollars a day." Matthew was quite impressed by the sum. "That's over five thousand dollars a month."
Unfortunately, job opportunities like this didn't come up every day. For someone just starting out in the industry, they might only appear once every few months.
"Great performance." Off the set, Dennis followed Matthew, his pudgy face smiling so broadly his eyes were barely visible. "Not many actors just starting out can nail a scene in three takes."
"Really?" Matthew asked, then laughed. The fat man was clearly trying to flatter him.
Dennis, however, said earnestly, "Based on my experience, you've got a talent for this."
Matthew didn't take his words seriously. Dennis then asked, "Are you heading home?"
"No." Matthew had no intention of leaving right away; who knew when he'd be on a studio set again.
Dennis hesitated, then said, "Well, see you later then."
The crew was preparing for the next scene, and Matthew stood at the edge of the set, his eyes darting mainly between Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie—established stars he could learn from.
Suddenly, a man walked up to him and asked, "Are you Matthew Horner?"